Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s 2025–26 Departmental Plan: At a glance

Key priorities

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has 5 programs (plus Internal Services) for delivering on its core responsibility of nuclear regulation, fulfilling its mandate, and achieving its departmental results for 2025–26 and beyond. These are articulated in this year’s plan through 4 pillars: to be modern, trusted, global, and agile. The CNSC strives for regulatory efficiency in the fulfillment of its commitments – through ensuring that its regulations are risk-informed, flexible and fit for purpose, and by maintaining organizational regulatory readiness. The CNSC’s key priorities for 2025–26 are as follows:

The CNSC is committed to a modern approach to nuclear regulation using science- and evidence-based decisions and risk-informed actions, and technically sound regulatory practices that consider scientific uncertainties and evolving expectations. In 2025–26, the CNSC will:

• review existing legislative and regulatory authorities under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA) to support regulatory readiness and Indigenous reconciliation.
• develop funding transition plans for projects that continue to support new nuclear and small modular reactors (SMRs) in Canada, including SMR Readiness and the Indigenous and Stakeholder Capacity Fund.
• continue to address new nuclear technology and its implications for the regulation of SMRs and nuclear fusion, to ensure that it is fully prepared to regulate these new technologies through their entire lifecycle.
• continue to manage the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s CNSC Small Modular Reactor Research Grant Initiative to grow research capacity related to SMRs.

The CNSC continuously strives to be a trusted regulator, recognized as independent, open and transparent, and as a credible source of scientific, technical and regulatory information. In 2025–26, the CNSC will:

• update and continue to implement the Indigenous Reconciliation Strategy and Action Plan, in order to build trust and advance reconciliation by being a culturally sensitive and respectful organization that actively listens to and learns from Indigenous Nations and communities.
• support the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) and related Action Plan to advance reconciliation and to ensure that Canada is meeting its international commitments.

The CNSC leverages and influences global nuclear efforts, relevant to Canadian interests and activities, to enhance international nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation. In 2025–26, the CNSC will:

• assist select aspiring nuclear countries in the development of effective nuclear regulatory regimes through chairing the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Regulatory Cooperation Forum.
• support the CNSC Executive Vice-President and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer’s presidency, as elected by the contracting parties, of the 8th Review Meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, which, through a peer-review process with contracting parties, aims to achieve and maintain a high level of safety in spent fuel and radioactive waste management; protect individuals, society and the environment from ionizing radiation; and prevent accidents and, if necessary, mitigate their consequences.
• implement international agreements including safeguards agreements with the IAEA and Nuclear Cooperation Agreements with other states, to ensure the safe and peaceful use of Canadian nuclear material, equipment and technology and Canadian exports thereof.

The CNSC continues to progress towards being an agile organization ‒ one that is flexible and inclusive, with an empowered and equipped workforce able to quickly adapt to an evolving operating environment. In 2025–26, the CNSC will:

• deliver organization-wide capabilities and implement modern information management and technology practices including the unification of regulatory data into one connected platform.
• implement the Government of Canada’s GCworkplace vision to ensure that its hybrid work environment meets operational requirements and supports employee productivity and wellness.
• begin to implement its Strategic Workforce Plan to ensure that its employees maintain the necessary skills and capabilities to regulate the nuclear industry into the future.

Highlights

In 2025–26, total planned spending (including internal services) for the CNSC is $196,662,929 and total planned full-time equivalent staff (including internal services) is 1,067. For complete information on the CNSC’s total planned spending and human resources, read the planned spending and human resources section of the full plan.

The following provides a summary of the CNSC’s planned achievements for 2025–26, according to its approved Departmental Results Framework. A Departmental Results Framework consists of a department’s core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve, and the performance indicators that measure progress toward these results.